A musical titled The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opened at the Bancroft Village Playhouse Wednesday evening.
The show combines music with comedy and audience interaction – bringing four local celebrities on-stage to compete in the spelling bee alongside the cast.
Don Green was one of the local celebs.
“I just got this random email a couple of days ago, and I was saying earlier, I can’t really say no to anything, so I thought I’d jump in and it was a lot of fun,” he said.
Green said it was hard not to laugh and to not miss his cues to go up to the microphone and spell.
Don and Carolyn Smith-Green own Riverstone Residence, a season sponsor for Tweed and Company Theatre.
Smith-Green added the music was a standout part of the show.
This sentiment was echoed by the show’s cast.
Sydney Gauvin, who plays Olive, said she was excited by the prospect of working with Tweed and Company. It was a dream production, she said, because of the music.
The show’s characters remind Gauvin of both herself and her friends in their younger years.
“The characters’ special interest is spelling in the same way that my special interest is musical theatre. So it speaks to my love of theatre with their love of spelling,” she said.
Jeanette Vannieu, who plays Marcy, was a part of Tweed and Company’s production of Jersey Boys last summer. She didn’t know anything about the current production but enjoyed being a part of Jersey Boys and was excited to return.
Vannieu has grown to love the show and cast.
“Doing a show so special with such a small group of amazing, beautiful people – it’s been a great summer.”
Vannieu said patrons should be ready to have a laugh, feel their emotions and see parts of themselves reflected on-stage.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is rated PG-13 and runs until July 19.
